When Should I Hire A Personal Injury Attorney?
It’s one of the most frequently asked questions that we get at our firm. “When should I hire a personal injury attorney?” While this is certainly a good question to ask yourself if you obtained an injury due to an accident, there is one more question that you need ask yourself as well. The follow-up question is this: Do I even need to hire an attorney at all?
In many smaller cases, you most likely do not need to hire an attorney to represent you. You will likely have success settling a small case on your own. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a conversation with an attorney to get an idea if your case requires the representation of a personal injury attorney. Keep this in mind: you will end up paying a third of your recovery to your attorney. In most small cases where the settlement money is low to begin with, it’s much more beneficial to represent yourself so that you are able to come away with as much money as you can to help support your injury.
Our advice: talk to a lawyer and be candid. Lay out all of the facts related to your case. Once the lawyer has a clear picture of what happened to you in relation to your injury, then he or she will be able to determine if you need a lawyer’s representation or not. Most lawyers will be very upfront and honest with you. If your case seems small, your lawyer will let you know that you have not been hurt badly enough to receive a large compensation number. The extent of your injuries will you usually be the biggest indicator of what your settlement will potentially look like; you cannot get an idea of this number until you are released from the doctor with a medical treatment plan in place.
It’s usually very apparent when a lawyer is needed
If you are involved in a really bad accident with horrendous injures, you should definitely hire a personal injury lawyer right away. Any injury that was considered life-threatening or caused long term damage to your body will certainly need the assistance of a lawyer. Many of these cases are very complicated, especially when insurance agencies get involved in the process. For this reason, you need to hire a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the local and federal laws to ensure that you come away with the compensation that you deserve.
Remember, it is important to reach out to a lawyer immediately after a major accident. There are a series of early steps that you and your lawyer can take to start building your case to help you receive the compensation that you deserve.
If you or anyone that you know is in need of a personal injury lawyer here in the state of Oregon, contact us today at Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Accident Injury Attorneys for a free case evaluation. You can also reach us directly at: 1-800-285-8678. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys will work hard to ensure that you receive the justice that you deserve!